Cesáreo Fernández Duro (25 February 1830 – 5 June 1908) was a Spanish professional naval officer, writer, scholar and historian.

His father, Francisco Fernández Torneros, a lawyer, was entitled to use Don before his name, which means that his mother, Teresa Ramona Duro, was a Doña (Latin Dominus and Domina, "master" and "mistress.")

Cesáreo was a Don, no doubt, but history prefers for him his rank at retirement from the navy, Capitán.

Zamora was not in those regions, but Fernández was popular in Iberia, being distributed across lines, rather than down them, by the Spanish naming system.

Castille was the power behind the Reconquista, which was completed by Ferdinand and Isabella in the time of Columbus, and the growth of the subsequent Spanish Empire.

Americans and Western Europeans today take for granted mandatory free primary education, almost everyone being able to read and write.

In 1860 only 20.1% of the population of Spain was literate; that is, could read and write, and similar figures are true for the rest of Europe.

Despite his age and station, he was inducted as an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

In 1853, he sailed as an ensign aboard the corvette Ferrolana in the Mediterranean, visiting France and Italy.

In 1860 he took part in the Hispano-Moroccan War in command of the steamer Ferrolano, and drafted a report on the port, city and fortifications of Mogador.

Subsequently, he was awarded the Cross of the Royal Navy Diadem and the rank of Commander of Infantry for his distinguished service.

He then returned to the West Indies and took part in the Prim expedition to Mexico as Secretary of the General Commander of Operations of the Fleet.

Still in Madrid, he participated in conferences and organized expeditions to Ifni, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, to investigate the correct location of the ancient possession of Santa Cruz de la Mar Pequeña.

Fernández Duro was then made aide-de-camp to King Alfonso XII, and because of his prestige, knowledge and experience, he was appointed arbitrator in determining the boundary between Colombia and Venezuela.

On this last topic he wrote a collection of news-biographical literature relating to Zamora or materials for its history (Madrid: Manuel Tello, 1891), which was awarded in 1876.